Reverse Momentum
by Hakase Fudou
Summary: Sometimes, the best revenge on despair is hope. Hakase Fudou has discovered this time and time again. However, he is forced to keep this belief, even after his son, his only son, Yusei Fudou, tragically falls into the Momentum's light. Hakase Fudou's POV


_Reverse Momentum_

Author's Note: Really odd title, I know. But being inspired in the strangest ways by an episode can do really odd things.

Taken place after the events of episode 57, all that were at the sight of the duel are affected one way or another. Rua, Ruka, Crow, and even Ushio are saddened at the sudden event. Even Jack and Aki are somehow affected, and Jack has even turned into a Dark Signer, though the event did not directly cause him to become so. But even though the depression from Yusei falling into the Momentum's light was great, there's even a greater depression from someone else, one that is not even alive physically. But even through this great depression, he is the only one who is able to find hope and even a silver lining in Yusei's fall.

* * *

"_Yusei!"_

Rudger, is this how you treat my son? What did he do to deserve your hate? Isn't it I that you hate so strongly?

Those are my thoughts, after hearing his name, my son's name, and seeing him fall into the Momentum's light. I had been watching the duel between Rudger and him from inside the Momentum's light. I had to admit, Rudger sure had become crazier since my death from Zero Reverse, as that accident at MIDS became known as. His Dark Signer state became his downfall . . . and my son had to take the fall with him.

Although, surprising as it is, it's not the only facet that attributed to the depression.

Even if my son didn't fall into the light, I'd still be depressed . . . because of what he said to Rudger.

_"If my father hadn't had his experiments, the accident that happened 17 years ago wouldn't have occurred. That experiment took the lives of Crow and Jack's parents. It ruined everyone's lives! If it had never happened, everyone would have loving parents and would have had a happy life! So why do they look at me as a friend?! They don't bare any bad feelings and they support me! What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to tell them I'm sorry?! Answer me, Rudger!"_

That speech had touched my heart in more ways than one. He wasn't blaming me for the loss of his friends' parents. He was blaming himself for all the lives lost in Zero Reverse, even though he had only been a year old at the time. I had watched him since birth and I had continued to watch him in spirit, even after I had died and was damned into being trapped in the Momentum's light. I was able to watch him grow up with Martha, Jack, Crow, and his other friends, how he was growing up before my eyes. Even though it had frightened me to see him suffering, I was able to see him at those rare happy times, when, for a brief moment, there wasn't a care in the world for him.

Even though I know he's a Signer and he'll be fine, even when he fell into the Momentum's light, I still don't feel any hope or see any silver lining for some reason. Like something in my heart is missing.

Suddenly, there was smoke in front of me. Then it showed me an image of some of Yusei's friends; Rua, Ruka, Crow, and Ushio. How do I know Ushio? I did say I had followed my son as he grew, didn't I? A police officer who was a racist against those who lived and harbored in Satellite who suddenly changed his attitude about this issue after learning that my son was a Signer, destined to save the Earth, from Rex Godwin, one of my former colleagues.

"Yusei's dead!" Rua wailed; almost too loudly for me to bear.

"Yusei is NOT dead! He just fell into the Momentum! He'll be fine!" Crow retorted, but with a hint of strain in his voice.

Even so, why couldn't I believe his words? Is it because I believe in things that I could see only? Is it because of my lack of faith in him AND my son? No . . . I can't lose faith in my son. That's the one vital object that he needs. He needs others to believe in him. He does the so-called impossible when he is believed in. That I have learned from watching him. His support from the twins, Crow, Jack, Martha, Rally, and the others has helped him do the unthinkable. There were even times and situations where I thought Yusei wouldn't be able to get as far as he has, but he has proved me wrong. I am glad about that though. Doubting my son is possibly the worst thing a father could ever do, or what any parent can do. Doubt in a child can ruin his life . . . like what I had done. Maybe that's why this happened to him. I had doubted him so many times; it had killed him . . . literally, in the shape of Rudger's decaying body.

All of a sudden, the scene in the smoke changed. The atmosphere turned purple and it was a dark place, a place all too familiar to me. It was Hell. Why had the smoke shown me this? What was the purpose? There isn't anyone there. There just can't be. However, the smoke's view strolled to the right and it became clear to me.

My son was in Hell.

My son was going to die.

My son was going to suffer for MY sin.

As I watched my son lying there, lying there with no life to him, all my guilt swept over my body at that moment. The guilt I had built up for years, since Zero Reverse had happened.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and slowly got up . . . and started to panic.

"Where-Where am I? What is this place?"

I only watched as he wandered around Hell in befuddlement. He didn't know what was going to happen next . . . but I did. I remembered all too clearly what happened when I was in his position. When I first entered Hell, I was attacked by these spirits, spirits of those who had died as a result of my lack of responsibility in preventing Rudger from causing Zero Reverse. How did I get to be a spirit lurking around the Old Momentum then? I was saved by another spirit, the spirit of my wife. She too died in the Zero Reverse accident. She saw my suffering, just like how I am seeing my son's suffering. And she, as beautiful and bright as an angel, saved me from Hell. But now, I am in a position far worse than Hell and am no where near a place as pleasant as Heaven. I just wander around the Old Momentum, watching my son and others that enter here at the same time.

Then, the expected happened. These spirits, the same spirits that appeared to me when I was in Hell, appeared to him. They started grabbing his arms and he looked frightened, scared . . . like a lost, scared little child. He started to struggle so he could get away from these monsters, but to no avail. They were strong creatures, stronger than when I had confronted them. His right arm began to glow. The mark of the Crimson Dragon's Tail began to appear and he was able to see why these ghosts were after him as he was shown a vision from the time Zero Reverse split Neo-Domino into itself and Satellite and all the people that fell in the fault, or those that are now ghosts and preying on him. Even worse, he was slowly being pulled underground while the ghosts were still preying on him.

And there he was. My song. My son. My one and only son and child, lying in Hell. I can't just stand here and watch him die from MY sufferings, not because of what he had yet to face and experience as a young man, but because of the wish I had made for him after I had placed him a pod to send him to somewhere far away where he could be taken good care of. I wanted him to never experience what I had experienced, before and after I had saved him. Those spirits continued to prey on him, the spirits that were victims of that tragedy. The tragedy that I had unintentionally started and had buried the lives of innocent souls. And then, I knew how to save him.

My determination to save him is what caused me to glow like an angel. A glow that was far brighter than the sun itself. I went down to Hell, to where my son was suffering, and shone around those spirits, vanquishing their restless souls. I had saved my son.

Through my power, he was lifted from the ground and he was able to see only my silhouette because of the brightness I had produced to destroy the spirits. He looked at me like I was a stranger, like he had just found his guardian angel, granted that he could barely see past the light.

"It's too soon for you to come here." I told him. My voice had echoed from the rocky walls of Hell.

As I started to walk away, knowing I had saved him and knowing he could find his way out, I was stopped suddenly . . . by my son.

"_M-Matte!" _He cried out. I could hear his feet running. He was chasing after me. But why?

"Who-Who are you? And why did you save me?" He yelled out of inquiry.

I stopped.

This was my chance. After 17 years, I am able to communicate with my son. However, will I have the courage to turn around and speak to him? After what I had done to him? Will I be able to tell him that I'm sorry?

"Answer me!"

I bit my lip. He was waiting for me. He wanted to know the truth. He was tired of hearing about me from Rudger. I gathered up all the courage that I had, though it wasn't much, and turned around to face him, my glow disappearing so that he could see me.

I was just a spirit at that moment, not an angel.

"Yes? You wanted to speak with me?" I asked.

He didn't speak. His expression showed one of shock. I can't really blame him. He was freaked out by those ghosts.

"Why? Why do you look so familiar?" He asked.

I had to tell him. It was either now or never. It was either let him know the truth or continue living a lie until he dies.

"Yusei . . . my son . . . it's me." I answered.

He took a step back. He was afraid of me.

"No . . . no . . . You can't be my father! You just CAN'T be!" He cried out in fear. I could even see his eyes fill up with tears. He's scared. He's scared because of all the lies Rudger had told him about me.

"Yusei, don't be afraid of me. I won't hurt you." I smiled at him to show him I was sincere about what I was saying. "I really am your father. Dr. Fudou Hakase, former researcher of the Momentum at MIDS."

He only stared at me with wild eyes. Those watery, wild, blue eyes. He really was a spitting image of me when I was 18.

"Yusei . . ." I went on, ". . . I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything. Zero Reverse, the death of Crow and Jack's parents, your misunderstood origins . . . I'm sorry. I didn't know you carried my burden all by yourself. I didn't realize I had caused you so much pain and grief."

"_Otou-sama . . ." _He whispered. So he was finally able to believe I was his father, his deceased predecessor.

I only smiled warmly at him as I walked towards him. When I had walked to right about in front of him, I extended both my arms out to embrace him. Yeah. I know I was a spirit. But I was a special kind, the kind that can touch others. You know, like those other spirits my son had encountered?

He ran into my arms and returned the embrace and he started to cry . . . or more like he started sobbing.

I can't tell whether he was depressed or overjoyed to see me through his tears. But, it doesn't really matter now, does it? After 17 years, 17 long painful years, we were both able to be reunited as father and son once more.

"_Otou-sama . . . Otou-sama . . ." _He kept whispering over and over through his sobs.

I only smiled as I savored this moment, a moment in which I will probably never experience again.

He then let go of me, sobbing slowed down, but tears kept flowing out of his blue eyes.

"Y-You didn't answer my second question." He hiccupped between sobs. "Why did y-you save me?"

"Yusei, how else was I supposed to tell you I'm sorry? About my lack of faith in you throughout the years? About murdering your friends' parents?"

He stared at me with those wild eyes once more as he asked in disbelief, "What are you talking about?"

"Yusei, ever since I had died in that accident, after I had saved you from the same fate, I had watched you grow throughout the years while staying at the Old Momentum. But, even as your father, there were some times that I couldn't believe you could do some things that I thought were impossible. I had thought your Signer's birthmark would bring you nothing but pain, like Izayoi Aki. I had thought that you wouldn't meet face to face with your former friend, Kyosuke Kiryu. I didn't even think you would meet Rudger Godwin, my former associate."

"So what he said was true . . ." He muttered.

"That's right. The Godwin brothers were my associates. And even though Rudger had physically caused Zero Reverse . . . I can't help but feeling responsible for all those lives lost and ruined by the accident. He was also right that he had sent me . . . to Hell."

I could see my son cringe as I said this. Rudger's words obviously had scared him.

"However, your mother was able to save me from Hell as an angel, just like I had saved you. But, I was stuck at the Old Momentum, wandering around and could do nothing but watch the sufferings of others."

"But, you were able to see me grow up as young child. You were able to see everything that I did, all the mistakes and trials I had made. You were able to see all my joyous moments as well." He intervened.

"That's right." I nodded. "And . . . that's why I saved you."

"What?" Yusei blinked.

I smiled. "I wanted to see more of those joyous moments in your life, a life that ISN'T over. No. It's far from over. You haven't defeated the Dark Signers yet. You haven't accomplished what you want to accomplish yet. And until you do, your life will never be over."

A smile started to form at the corners of his mouth.

"Thanks. And you are also forgiven."

Now it was my turn to be confused. What ever did he mean?

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

Yusei only smiled more and replied, "I know you felt as guilty as I was about the Zero Reverse accident. I know it wasn't your fault that all those people were killed. It never has and it never will."

I could only stare at him in shock. "Yusei . . ."

And I could see him starting to fade away very slowly.

His last words before he disappeared completely, before I lost him until the day he dies, were, "Thanks, _Otou-sama . . . _for everything that you did to save me." And then, he was gone. Completely.

There were some things that I did not get to tell him, like how truly sorry I was for doubting him for so many years. But something in my gut tells me that he had forgiven me of that too. And something tells me . . . that we will be seeing each other again very soon.

* * *

_Okay. So you might be thinking, "Oh wow. She jumped the gun on the Daddy Fudou and Yusei meeting in 17 years." Yeah. I did. But it makes great one-shots. xP_

_I hope you enjoyed this one shot as I have enjoyed writing it. ;3 Reviews are appreciated._


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